Cleaners for louvers and shutters or the like



Nov. 27, 1962 J. cuRAroLo CLEANERS FOR LOUVERS AND SHUTTERS OR THE LIKEFiled NOV. 14, 1960 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH CURATOLO ATTORNEY U ited States Patent O 3,055,483 CLEANERS FRLGUVERS AND SHUTTERS R Tim LIKE Joseph Curatolo, 351 Elwood Road, EastNorthport, N.Y. Filed Nov. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 68,852 3 Claims. (Cl.15--210) The present invention relates to cleaning implements and moreparticularly to a device designed to facilitate the cleaning of louversand comparable slatted door or window coverings.

One object of the invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus adaptedfor direct application to the slat elements of louvers without theirremoval from the frame element containing the slats.

A second object of the invention is to provide a cleaning apparatusadapted to handle effectively opposed -side portions of a louver slatelement simultaneously.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cleaningapparatus adapted to handle effectively a plurality `of louver slatelements simultaneously.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cleaningapparatus which 'adjusts itself automatically to the configuration ofthe louver slats to assure complete coverage thereof.

Another object of importance is to provide a cleaning device as statedwhich can be manufactured at relatively low cost, but will neverthelessbe rugged and substantially trouble free in operation.

With the foregoing and other object-s which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangements of parts of the embodimentdisclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing I have set forth an illustrative embodimentof my invention.

In said drawing:

FIGURE l is a plan View of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a reduced top plan view of a support holding a slat cleanerconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 4 4 of FIG. 3; and,

FIG. 5 is a reduced bottom plan view of the support of FIGS. 3 and 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

In the drawing the numeral 1 denotes a slat cleaner, which consists of astiff, preferably at base 2 of wood, or plastic material or the like,and of a wiping element 3 of sponge rubber or of any other suitablematerial which is secured to one side of the base 2 by means of gluing,vulcanizing or the like. The element 3 preferably is of a substantialthickness and that portion thereof which is opposite the base Z isprovided with ribs 4 and grooves. 5, which are parallel to each otherand which are inclined at an angle which corresponds to the usualinclination of the Islats 7 in a louver or shutter frame 8 or the like.Moreover, the ribs 4 are spaced from one another at the same distancesat which the slats 7 in a louver ordinarily are spaced from each other.Furthermore, I prefer to make the ribs 4 of such a thickness that theylit easily into the spaces between pairs of slats 7, so that portions ofboth sides of a plurality of slats 7 can be engaged simultaneously bythe ribs 4 and the grooves 5 of a wiping element 3.

Patented Nov. 27, 1962 Before starting the cleaning operation, the slatcleaner 1 is immersed into water or into any other liquid contained in apail l0 or the like. Thereby the spongy element 3 is filled with theliquid sufficient for a considerable period of cleaning time, and it isdesirable from time to time to place the cleaner 1 upon a holder or thelike, where it will rest safely and by which any liquid dripping downfrom the cleaner 1 will be prevented from soiling floors or pieces offurniture. Therefore, I have developed a ysupport 11 as illustrated inFIGS. 3, 4 and 5 The support 11 consists of a plate 12 of wood orplastic material or the like, the upper side of which preferably isprovided with grooves l5 and 16, while to its lower side are secured anysuitable means for attaching it to the upper rim portion 17 of the paillil. I prefer to carry out this feature of my invention in the mannershown in FIGS. 3 to S, Iwhere it will be lseen that mounted to the lowerside of the plate l2 are curved tins 20 and 21 adapted for receivingbetween them a section of the rim portion 17. A block member 22 isinserted between the center portion of the fins 20 and 21, so that theplate 12 will be inclined relative to the rim portion I7 (FIG. 4) whenthe support 11 has been placed upon the rim I7 of the pail 10. A lowframe element Z3, which is interrupted at one of its longitudinal sidesfor allowing a dripping of liquid from the plate 12 into the pail 10preferably is attached to the edge portions of the plate 12. Thus, whenthe cleaner 1 is placed upon the support 11 as is indicated in FIGS. land 2, any excess liquid emanating from the cleaner 1 will pass throughthe grooves 15 and 16 toward the lowest portion of the inclined plate12, and from there will drip into the pail 10.

The cleaning of the slats 7 can be carried out easily and quickly byinserting the ribs 4 of the element 3 between a number of slats 7 andreciprocating the cleaner l in a horizontal direction.

Since certain change-s may be made in the above article and differentembodiments of the invention could be made Without departing from thescope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as amatter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A device of the character described comprising a wiping member ofimbibitory material having a main portion and a top portion providedwith parallel grooves and ribs, and a base member secured to the mainportion of said wiping member, the ribs and grooves in said wipingmember having parallel surfaces which are inclined corresponding to theinclination of louver slats, and said ribs and grooves being dimensionedand spaced from each other in such a manner as to be able to engagesimultaneously major portions of a plurality of slats of a louver.

2. A louver cleaning device comprising a wiping member of spongymaterial having a main portion and a top portion provided with obliqueparallel transverse grooves and oblique, parallel, transverse ribs, anda base -member secured to the main portion of said wiping member, theribs and grooves in said wiping ymember being inclined relative to saidbase member at substantially the `same angle at which louver slats areinclined relative to a louver frame, and the ribs being so dimensionedand spaced from each other that each rib lits in between a pair ofslats.

3. A louver `and shutter cleaning device comprising a fiat base member,and a wiping member of imbibitory References Cited in the le of thispatent distance between two louver slats so that each rib fits in 108561625 between a pair of louver slats.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Wolff May 3, 1898 Simmons June 25, 1901 KirsnerJuly 5, 1927 Troupa e Aug. 29, 1933 Carlson Mar. 28, 1939 Trindl Dec.11, 1945 Delacretaz Oct. 21, 1958

